A man has been mauled to death by his pet lion in Zdechov, a village in eastern Czech Republic, on Tuesday morning.

The victim of the attack is the 33-year-old owner of the lions, amateur lion breeder Michal Prasek. His father found his body inside the male lion’s pen, which had been locked from the inside. Mr Prasek has bought the male lion in Slovakia in 2016 and the lioness last year. He had built the cage for the animal in the garden of his home, about 350 kilometers (215 miles) southeast of Prague.

Michal Prasek and his lion (from Facebook)

He invited neighbours into his garden in the village of Zdechov to see the animals. However, he never got a permit to keep them. Many of Zdechov's residents were concerned by the presence of the animals. They already made a history in the village. Last year, Prasek's female lion attacked a cyclist while on a walk on a leash. Prasek himself required surgery after being previously attacked while feeding Fufi, when he was living in Slovakia. “I made a professional mistake. Like every morning I went to feed it, but this time I put on a coat that smelled of dogs,” he explained at that time. Police said they had to shoot both lions dead Tuesday to get to Mr Prasek’s body. World Animal Protection, an animal welfare organization, says the tragic event is an example "why wild animals such as big cats, are absolutely not to be kept as pets."